KAYSVILLE – Residents concerned about traffic on a busy thoroughfare through their neighborhoods requested a four-way stop at the intersection of Burton Lane and Via La Costa Way.

The request was presented to the city council by Scott McFarland, a civil engineer who lives in the area and is concerned, along with others, at the speed of cars along Burton.

“It is more and more concerning as young families with younger children are moving in,” he said.

Speeds on the straight-away are exacerbated by slopes north of the intersection, he said.

Most people accelerate to go up a hill on Burton and when they begin downhill, pick up speed wthout realizing it.

“By the time they realize how fast they’re going, they’ve gone through the intersection,” he said. “It’s a sight issue, unless you’re paying 100 percent attention, you barely have the stopping distance.”

The curves along Burton also affect sight, he said.

Residents are desperate to get two more stop signs placed, making it a four-way stop, said McFarland.

“I’m here to beg,” he said. “These mothers want me to plead with you for their children.”

Andy Thompson, city engineer, said a decision to place a stop sign has to be warranted by the amount of traffic at an intersection.

In this case, he said, there is insufficient traffic, but the mitigating factors McFarland brought up, such as slope and curves, may warrant a second look.

City councilman Jared Taylor made a motion that passed, authorizing city staff to study the intersection and install the stop signs if deemed appropriate.

If staff doesn’t agree that there’s a need, they were asked to report back to the city council for further consideration of the issue.